'OH, I made a movie with Madonna." That could be a casual comment flung by Suzie Forte Gilman, formerly of Los Gatos, the next time her Los Gatos High School class of 1986 gathers for a reunion and asks what she's been doing with herself. Gilman, who grew up in Los Gatos and is the daughter of Elvie Scott of Saratoga, is in Buenos Aires, Argentina, helping wrap up Evita, a film about the late Eva Peron that is being filmed with Madonna and Antonio Banderas.
"Suzie works for the Cinergi company and is production manager on the film," her mother said. She added that this isn't the first movie the graduate of USC, where she took multimedia studies, has been involved with. She worked on production of a so-far-unreleased film with Talia Shire. No, she didn't send home any gossip about the Material Girl. "They have been working 12 and 15 hours a day, and Suzie writes that they come back to their hotel exhausted," she said. Gilman has lived in Brazil and she speaks Spanish, which helped her get this assignment.
SPEAKING of class reunions, the 1946 class of LGHS is scheduled for one next June 8 at the Toll House Hotel. Contact Bill Burgstrom, 645 Blakeridge Lane, Watsonville, 95706, or phone 724-4350.
LOS GATANS do get around. Dawn Hart, a senior at Los Gatos High School, will be traveling to South Africa for 20 days in June, along with 15 other students from Santa Clara County, sponsored by People to People Student Ambassador Programs. A visit with President Nelson Mandela may be on the agenda. Dawn told the Los Gatos Rotary Club she had been advised not to be too outspoken on the subject of racism when speaking to South Africans. Dawn and her mother, Heidi Owens, were Los Gatos Rotary Club luncheon guests.
MORE than 60 persons visited Forbes Mill Museum March 2 for a reception and opening of the new Jeremiah O'Brien exhibit. Among the featured guests were Carl Nolte of the San Francisco Chronicle, who reported on the 1994 Atlantic voyage from aboard the last Liberty Ship as it voyaged to the 50th anniversary of the Normandy landings; Michael Emery, the photographer whose striking views of the voyage are on display at the Mill; Rod Deakin, chief engineer for Globe Wireless, in Half Moon Bay, who received Nolte's computerized reports from the ship; and ship's oiler Gene Anderson of San Jose. Los Gatos Museum Association president Peter Tiernan and Forbes Mill curator Mary Foster welcomed guests.
Anderson narrated his interesting video of the voyage. Included was a scene of President and Mrs. Clinton boarding the O'Brien from a small launch. When, Anderson related, he showed the video at a meeting of the Los Gatos Yacht Club and mentioned the rough sea that day, someone remarked, "Well, the Clintons are used to Whitewater!"
FIGURE skating gold medalist Peggy Fleming is one of four athletes to be inducted into the San Jose Sports Hall of Fame this fall. Others named for excellence are San Jose State University boxing and soccer coach Julius Menendez; John Hanna, longtime football coach at Bellarmine College Preparatory, and Yosh Uchida, SJSU judo coach. Bronze plaques will be placed on the San Jose Arena's Wall of Fame.
CHEFS from several Los Gatos restaurants will be among top chefs donating their talents to help feed hungry people. Share Our Strength's Taste of the Nation will take place on March 31, from 4 to 8 p.m., at the Hayes Renaissance Conference Center, 200 Edenvale Ave., San Jose. Second Harvest Food Bank will receive 60 percent of the proceeds, with the remainder going to Sacred Heart Community Service and international relief groups.
Among the chef-participants: Rick Ebster of Valeriano's Ristorante; Marcie Spinazze, Cafe Marcella; Jack and Rosemary Edwards and Lindsey Quehl, Cafe Trio; Jim Stump, Los Gatos Brewing Company; Chris Benson, C. B. Hannegan's; Gary Messick, California Cafe, and Art Carlson, Los Gatos Bar & Grill. Steve Crisler, executive chef of Orlo's (at the Hayes Center) is organizer of the event. More than 30 restaurants and a dozen wineries will provide fine dishes and wines at $60 per person. For tickets call 226-3200 or 1-800-955-8278.
PURRSNICKETY, the Los Gatos shop for cat lovers, has moved from 9 University Ave. to 100 N. Santa Cruz Ave., former location of The Cat and the Fiddle children's clothing shop. Ellen Wayker owns Purrsnickety.
SHOWDOWN: Let the distressed town of Hadleyville in the classic Western film High Noon stand for the financially distressed town of Los Gatos. Far off in the distance is heard the lonely whistle of the noon train, bringing the most dangerous gun in the West, Economic Calamity. Waiting at the depot are his confederates, Pothole Pete, Downsize Dave, Fewer Library Hours Frank, and Benchless Bob.
Everybody knows old Eek Calamity hasn't a drop of human sympathy in his gaunt frame. The minute the train pulls in, he'll buckle on his sixguns, a smile of anticipation creasing his scarred, evil face. Then Eek, Pete, Dave and Bob will head down Main Street shoulder to shoulder, eagerly looking to wipe out . . . who?
Utility Tax! Known as "Ute" to his friends, he's the beleaguered defender of the town. You can be sure it won't be fit to live in if Eek and his pals take it over. Hear that whistle blow afar off. The noon train is coming closer. ("Do not foresake me, o my darlin'. . . ")
Will the townspeople run and hide or will they rally to help him? Can Ute stand up against the bad guys, or will he lie dead in the street, his cold hand clutching the Colt he never had a chance to fire?
Tune in March 26. And Happy St. Patrick's Day!
This article appeared in the Los Gatos Weekly-Times, March 13, 1996.
©1996 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved